(Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte said he would now reveal all the anomalies regarding the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) committed by the previous Aquino administration, including the misuse of these funds that had already been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
He said he would reveal how the DAP funds had been misused during the term of former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, and pointed particularly to former Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad, and to senator Antonio Trillanes IV as among those who had misused them.
Speaking to the media when he visited soldiers in Cagayan de Oro City, Mr. Duterte told reporters to check these DAP anomalies committed by the previous administration.
“Bakit ‘di n’yo kalkalin si Abad? Anong nagawa ni Abad? Si PNoy! Despite a constitutional ruling na bawal ‘yang DAP, they continued to do it as if it was nobody’s business,” he said.
“Ngayon, gusto ko nang ilabas ‘yan lahat. Lahat ‘yan,” the President said referring to DAP anomalies.
The President said he would also expose how Senator Trillanes had misused his DAP, as he questioned how the opposition senator spent the funds.
“Pati yung sila Trillanes, ang DAP nila, ilabas ko… ilan ang DAP nila? Paano nila nagastos?” Mr. Duterte said referring to Trillanes and the other lawmakers who had misused DAP fund.
The President said it was hypocritical of the previous administration to project itself as clean, when they themselves violated a Supreme Court ruling on the DAP.
The Ombudsman had already indicted Abad for usurpation of legislative powers, which was a crime under the Revised Penal Code, when he implemented the DAP.
But he was only penalized with no salary for six months when he was Department of Budget and Management chief. Critics said this was a mere slap in the wrist.
The Ombudsman also dismissed criminal and administrative charges against Aquino and Budget Undersecretary Mario Relampagos.